In this episode of The Conversion Show, Erik Christiansen interviews Adam Tuttle, who shares his extensive 13 year experience with ActiveCampaign, an email and marketing automation company. They discuss the evolution of ActiveCampaign, its market position, the impact of AI on sales operations, and the importance of building relationships in sales. Adam also reflects on his time in Australia, highlighting cultural differences in work-life balance and the growing tech scene. The conversation emphasizes the need for companies to adapt to changing market dynamics and the significance of human connection in sales.

In this conversation, Erik Christiansen and Larry Kim delve into the complexities of the website visitor identification industry, discussing its current state, the accuracy of data, and the implications of using such data in marketing strategies. They explore the differences between first-party and third-party data, the challenges of ensuring data accuracy, and the potential costs associated with using inaccurate data. The discussion emphasizes the need for transparency and understanding in the industry, highlighting the importance of accurate data for effective marketing.

Chapters

Understanding Website Visitor Identification Technology

Transparency and Accuracy in Visitor Identification

Challenges of Data Accuracy and Its Implications

Establishing a Baseline for Testing Accuracy

First-Party vs. Third-Party Data

The Importance of Accurate Data in Marketing

The Cost of Poor Data Quality

Match Rate vs. Accuracy in Visitor Identification

The Dangers of Relying on Inaccurate Data

Industry Reactions and Future Directions

Concluding Thoughts and Lessons Learned

In this episode of "The Conversion Show," Erik Christiansen, CEO of Justuno, interviews Drew Sanocki, Founder of PostPilot. Drew has an extensive background in retail and shares his insights on how direct mail can be a game-changer for e-commerce businesses and explains the features of PostPilot, including segmentation, automation, remarketing, retargeting, and acquisition.

Erik and Drew discuss:

• The integration capabilities of Post Pilot with platforms like Shopify and Klaviyo.
• The concept of the discount ladder and the 30, 60, 90 plan.
• Optimizing retention, basket size, and conversion rates before focusing on customer acquisition. 
• The key to effective postcard designs is treating direct mail like a Facebook ad.
•  The shift in mindset regarding direct-to-consumer brands.

Watch the episode on The Conversion Show YouTube channel

Host: Erik Christiansen https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikc/

Guest: Drew Sanocki https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanocki/

Justuno https://www.justuno.com/

PostPilot https://postpilot.com/

Transcript:

Intro 00:00:05

Welcome to the Conversion Show, a podcast that's all about. You guessed it, conversions, everything that gets you to your goal, whether that's purchase, lead capture app, install content downloads, chat engagement, or demo requests. We're talking conversions hosted by Erik Christiansen, CEO and co-founder of the leading conversion optimization platform, Justuno. On the conversion show, Erik sits down with industry-leading marketers, e-commerce growth experts, founders, and entrepreneurs to chat all things conversion marketing. Be sure to follow the conversion show podcast to be notified when a new episode goes live. Like what you hear? Leave us some love with a review. And now here's your host, Eric Christiansen.

Erik 00:00:51

Welcome to the conversion show today. I'm really proud to have my guest, Drew Sanocki, who we go back ten-plus years and I encourage anyone listening if you're in front of a computer and type Drew Sanocki into LinkedIn and you're going to find a background that is is very well, what's the word? Diverse. 

Drew 00:01:17

Long and boring.

Erik 00:01:18

It's well-versed. KarmelLoop retailer he's been a retailer himself he is now CEO of Post Pilot a direct-to-consumer postcards highly segmented which is what we're going to get into today. Very exciting. So let's welcome to the show Drew.

Drew 00:01:37 

Thanks, Eric. It's good to see you again. As you said, we've known each other for ten-plus years. I remember when we took over Karmaloop you know, we got it out of bankruptcy. And one of the first things we did was put Justuno up. And that was probably 2014, 2015, just to reengineer the pop up. And they were amazed at how we went from, I don't know, we probably ten next to the opt-ins in a week back then.

Erik 00:02:02

Drew has always been a...

In this episode of "The Conversion Show" podcast, Erik Christiansen interviews Blair Beckwith, head of E-commerce at Tidio and Founder at Railspur.

Erik and Blair, with their combined experience of 20 years in the Shopify ecosystem, discuss their experiences and reflect on the changes in the Shopify app store over the past 10 years and what's yet to come in the next few.

Erik and Blair discuss:

• The need for businesses to diversify platforms to truly thrive.
• Brands aren't doing product-led growth correctly.
• Anxiety and concern among app partners regarding competition from Shopify
• Experimentation and impeccable products are key in today's dynamic ecosystem.
• Is "freemium" still a sexy term?
• Product-led growth, pricing models, and the challenges faced by developers.

Host: Erik Christiansen

Guest: Blair Beckwith

Sponsored by: 38 Proven Email Pop Up designs by Justuno

Tidio

Railspur

Transcript:

Erik 00:51

All right, folks. Today is a special day for the conversion show because one of the top questions I get asked personally is having been in the shop ecosystem for ten plus years, one of the first questions I always get asked is, hey, what's what's the check? What's the deal with the Shopify App Store? And you know, anyone who's in this world today is the show for you because you have combined 20 years exactly of Shopify App Store experience between Blair and I. I just looked it up March 19, 2013, Blair and I first emailed each other. So today's show, you saw the title, you know who's on here, Blair Beckwith, welcome to the show.

Blair 01:44

Thanks for having me. Eric, I was looking today, too, and I was I mean, I was thinking back, I think that we met in person maybe that summer in San Francisco. It was one of my first trips as a Shopify employee. Shopify was so small back then, I barely had a budget for a hotel. I remember staying in the Tenderloin and meeting up with you for lunch. You had a little office, and I think I want to call like the financial district. Was that what that area was called?

Erik 02:15

Yeah, we moved offices every year for a while and, we were probably on 2nd and Mission.

Blair 02:26

It was a little bit more like a corporate building. It was a little bit more modern. It was on a nonground floor. I remember taking an elevator. I remember walking with you to go get sandwiches down by the water.

Erik 02:28

I was trying to impress you, huh?

Blair 02:39

Yeah. Yeah, it was, man, it was a long time ago.

Erik 02:43

I do have to correct you because you said you were. It was early days as an employee, but technically, weren't you an intern?

Blair 02:53

By that point, I had graduated to full-time employment status. No. Yeah, I started. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, we can get into all that we can get into. Well, for sure.

Erik 03:03

It's funny. Like, I'm trying to remember back the earliest memory, and in talking about budgets, you know, Shopify. I didn't have the budget for a hotel for you. We've always just seen as always...

In this episode of "The Conversion Show" podcast, Erik Christiansen interviews Kyle Brucculeri VP of E-commerce at Gorjana.

Kyle highlighted the need for businesses to own their first-party data, moving away from reliance on third-party pixels like Facebook. Kyle also emphasizes the importance of understanding user needs and providing clarity in the value exchange between customers and omnichannel brands.

Kyle and Erik discuss:

• How changes in first-party and zero-party data are reshaping the way businesses interact with their customers.
• Bridging the gap between online and offline experience.
• Reliance on discounts and sales isn't necessary to maintain brand value.
• The value of retail stores in enhancing the customer experience and building trust.
• Owning first-party data and moving away from relying on third-party pixels.
• Importance of understanding visitor identities for personalization and conversion optimization.
• Creative alternatives for engaging visitors and capturing data.

Host: Erik Christiansen

Guest: Kyle Brucculeri

Justuno

Gorjana

In this special *CROSSOVER* episode of "The Conversion Show" podcast, we're sharing an episode of Show Me Your Tech Stack, where Erik sits down with Matthew Seifert, Senior Director of Retention and Monetization at Pretty Litter to talk about their MarTech stack and customer retention strategies.

Matthew shares his approach to building a strategy, which involves starting from the top with company goals and working his way down to specific tactics, always keeping ROI in mind. The episode provides insights into the MarTech stack and customer retention strategies of a successful e-commerce brand.

Erik and Matthew dive into:

• Apps used by Pretty Litter and their cart technology
• Incentivizing First-Time Customers
• Pretty Litter's referral program
• The Realities of Being a Digital Marketer
• Migrating SMS providers
• Expanding to international markets
• How digital marketers are always hungry for more information

Host: Erik Christiansen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikc/

Guest: Matthew Seifert - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewseifert/

Justuno - https://www.justuno.com/

Pretty Litter - https://www.prettylitter.com/

In this episode of The Conversion Show podcast, Erik Christiansen interviews Mona Sutherland, Director, Digital Marketing, North America at Grendene Global Brands (Shop Melissa and Shop Ipanema).

Mona shares her insights on conversion marketing, focusing on return on ad spend (ROAS) and analyzing sales conversions, as well as the importance of leveraging technology to improve efficiency and the overall customer experience.

Mona and Erik discuss:

• the role of AI tools and automation in reducing bounce rates
• improving relevancy for the consumer
• the challenges of managing paid media and digital marketing for multiple brands
• leveraging influencer marketing and user-generated content to drive traffic and sales
• how to provide a better customer experience
• the importance of customer data and segmentation for personalization at scale
• overcoming challenges with the right tech stack

Host: Erik Christiansen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikc/

Guest: Mona Sutherland - https://www.linkedin.com/in/monasutherland/

Justuno - https://www.justuno.com/

Grendene Global Brands (Melissa) - https://www.shopmelissa.com/

In this podcast episode, Erik Christiansen, CEO and Co-founder of Justuno, and Rita Zahir, VP of Marketing & E-Commerce at Awe Inspired discuss the important of investing in zero and first-party data to optimize every facet of your marketing efforts.

Rita and Erik talk through:

• The importance of using data effectively, not just collecting it.
• Providing true value to customers
• Mobile-first customer experience’s & the role of mobile apps
• Channel diversification & segmentation for prioritization and acquisition
• New mediums like YouTube shorts & the importance of staying up-to-date on emerging technologies to elevate your brand

Host: Erik Christiansen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikc/

Guest: Rita Zahir - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritazahir

Justuno - https://www.justuno.com/

Awe Inspired - https://aweinspired.com/

In this podcast episode, Erik Christiansen, CEO and Co-founder of Justuno, and John Gross, Founder, CEO, & Head of Growth Strategy at Fat Earth Media discuss the importance of trust in conversion and how investing in brand identity can make it easier to convince customers to purchase.

Erik and John talk through:

• the importance of storytelling and investing in brand, particularly for mission-driven brands
• analyzing a brand's mission and story, and how to calibrate the mission to the product
• investing in brand and customer feedback to build a community and create word-of-mouth supporters
• leveraging user-generated content (UGC) to improve brand awareness
• building touch points to give customers a better experience with the brand
• the potential of subscription services as a marketing strategy
• the importance of a holistic approach to marketing

Host: Erik Christiansen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikc/

Guest: John Gross - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johntgross/

Justuno: https://www.justuno.com/

Fat Earth Media: https://www.fat-earth.com/

In this episode of "The Conversion Show" podcast, Erik sits down with Allen Burt, Founder & CEO of Blue Stout, a Shopify Plus partner that helps DTC brands drive more conversions and revenue without spending more on ads.

Erik & Allen talk discuss the importance of understanding the audience and their emotional and logical decision-making processes, as well as the need for brands to focus on Conversion Rate Optimization in order to improve profitability and scale revenue. The episode emphasizes the need for brands to focus on customer-centricity and building sustainable businesses by capturing customer data and owning their channels.

Key topics discussed:

• The Hangover Stage that most DTC brands are in right now
• Understanding consumer psychology and empathy
• The "three Ps" framework for logical selling
• Reducing perceived risk for customers
• Building trust early in the customer journey
• Improving profitability and scaling revenue with CRO
• Challenges of capturing zero party data
• Understanding customer friction points

Host: Erik Christiansen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikc/

Guest: Allen Burt - https://www.linkedin.com/in/allenburt/

Justuno: https://www.justuno.com/

Blue Stout: https://bluestout.com/

In this special *CROSSOVER* episode of "The Conversion Show" podcast, we're sharing an episode of Show Me Your Tech Stack, where Erik sits down with Will Griffin, Director of Digital Marketing & Ecommerce at Sophistiplate, a unique, disposable dinnerware brand.

The conversation revolves around the role of digital marketers and e-commerce managers in driving the success of a business, and Will's recipe for scalable growth with a small marketing team.

Key topics discussed:

• Challenges of building a DTC retail side of the business from scratch
• The importance of tracking and optimizing your digital marketing strategy
• Making the checkout process as frictionless as possible.
• The impact of the iOS update on retargeting and audience building strategies
• Managing a tech stack - and the many struggles that come with this
• Discovering new apps and learning from other retailers
• The future of influencer marketing

Host: Erik Christiansen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikc/

Guest: Will Griffin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-griffin-63b64527/

Justuno: https://www.justuno.com/

Sophistiplate: https://www.sophistiplate.com/

Show Me Your Tech Stack: https://youtu.be/lgYx6U17bfI

In this episode of "The Conversion Show" podcast, Erik Christiansen, CEO and Co-founder of Justuno, interviews Tyler "Sully" Sullivan, entrepreneur and founder of BombTech Golf. The conversation revolves around building a successful e-commerce business by prioritizing customer experience, building trust, and investing in sustainable growth.

Sully shares his insights on engaging with customers through email, micro-launches, and private Facebook groups.

Sully and Erik talk through:

• the benefits of self-funding and investing in the right areas for long-term sustainability
• the importance of simplicity, authenticity, and copywriting in building a successful e-commerce brand
• various e-commerce tools and marketing strategies
• the importance of building customer-centric businesses - online and offline
• using Email for product innovation
• simplifying product offerings for increased conversion
• how offending some of your audience can be healthy for ads
• the importance of building trust with customers through messaging and guarantees

Host: Erik Christiansen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikc/

Guest: Tyler "Sully" Sullivan - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-sully-sullivan/

Justuno: https://www.justuno.com/

BombTech Golf: https://www.bombtechgolf.com/

Ecomgrowers: https://www.ecomgrowers.com/

SullyTyler.com: Shopify Marketing Expert

Travis and I are joined by an expert in data and identity in advertising - Kyle Antoian - Founder of Zeke Strategy.

In this conversation, Kyle Antoian discusses the significant changes in marketing strategies due to Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) and the evolving landscape of digital marketing. He emphasizes the importance of collecting customer data, building identity graphs, and adapting to the loss of third-party cookies. The discussion also covers the resurgence of direct mail and the need for marketers to leverage their own data to create effective lookalike audiences.

We covered powerful subjects relating to  Digital Advertising Post-ATT

• Impact of iOS 14.5 on Marketing Strategies
• The Cookie Conundrum and Alternative Solutions
• Future of Digital Marketing in a Privacy-Centric World
• The Importance of Post-Purchase Engagement
• Leveraging Zero-Party Data for Marketing
• Building Lookalike Audiences: Strategies and Insights
• The Role of Identity Graphs in Marketing
• Navigating Attribution Challenges in E-Commerce
• Understanding App vs. On-Site Experiences
• Lead Capture: The Foundation of Customer Engagement

In this episode of "The Conversion Show" podcast, Erik Christiansen, CEO and Co-founder of Justuno, interviews CJ DeGuara, Marketing Strategist and E-commerce manager at EBOOST, a leading healthy energy drink company.

They discuss various e-commerce tools, marketing strategies, and the importance of building customer-centric businesses - online and offline.

CJ and Erik discuss:

• store locator software
• subscription models vs getrepeat.io
• the challenges of reporting and troubleshooting
• first party data and identity resolution
• the impact of iOS changes on marketing tools
• Conversion Optimization and Reporting
• CJ's philosophy on productivity
• the underused potential of Shopify Flow

Host: Erik Christiansen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikc/

Guest: CJ DeGuara - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjdeguara/

Justuno: https://www.justuno.com/

EBOOST: https://levitatefoundry.com/

In this episode of "The Conversion Show" podcast, Erik Christiansen, CEO and co-founder of Justuno, hosts Ashley Scorpio, SVP of Revenue at Levitate Foundry, as a guest to discuss current trends in conversion marketing.

They cover various topics, including sustainability and eco-friendly initiatives in e-commerce, customer experience, optimization of the checkout stage, personalization, and search optimization.

Erik and Ashley discuss:

• creating memorable website experiences
• current trends in conversion marketing
• the need for: clear communication, proactive customer service, and easy returns to build trust and retain customers
• working through friction points with customer returns
• ensuring website accessibility and compliance
• search optimization for e-commerce sites with a large inventory
• rising costs of traditional digital advertising channels
• putting customers first in all aspects of the business

Host: Erik Christiansen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikc/

Guest: Ashley Scorpio - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyscorpio/

Justuno: https://www.justuno.com/

Levitate Foundry: https://levitatefoundry.com/

In this episode, Erik discusses retail and consumer behavior with John Roman, CEO @ BattlBox + Carnivore Club. John talks through his vast experience in sales, retail, commerce, and subscription.

Erik and John explore:

• different strategies for improving the customer experience and increasing sales
• John's experience with BattlBox, a subscription service that sends customers a box of outdoor and survival gear every month
• how to prioritize acquiring, converting, and retaining customers
• shipping, engaging with current customers, and building a loyal customer base through retention strategies
• the importance of the product page in the customer journey
• testing alternative language to improve the customer experience

Host: Erik Christiansen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikc/

Guest: John Roman - https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-roman/

Justuno: https://www.justuno.com/

BattlBox: https://www.battlbox.com/

In this special *CROSSOVER* episode of "The Conversion Show" podcast, we're sharing an episode of Show Me Your Tech Stack, where Erik sits down with Frank Dorval, CMO (then VP of Marketing) at Sheets and Giggles, a sustainable bedding and mattress brand.

According to Frank, it all comes down to creating a positive customer experience and building genuine connections with customers. This means using humor and puns in their branding, personalized promotions, and surprise-and-delight tactics to make customers feel special.

Key topics discussed:

• The importance of humor and personalization in marketing
• Challenges of scaling genuine connections with customers
• Strategies for increasing website traffic and customer retention
• Experiences with influencer marketing
• Being frugal with marketing budgets
• Benefits of focusing on website conversion optimization

Host: Erik Christiansen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikc/

Guest: Frank Dorval - https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankdorval

Justuno: https://www.justuno.com/

Sheets & Giggles: https://sheetsgiggles.com/

Show Me Your Tech Stack: https://youtu.be/lgYx6U17bfI

If you're running an e-commerce business, you know how important it is to convert site visitors into customers. But with so many options out there, how do you make your website stand out? This episode of The Conversion Show features Ashland Stansbury, founder and CEO of Because. Ashland shares her insights on personalization and how it can help increase conversion rates.

Erik and Ashland talk about:

• Ashland's experience as an entrepreneur
• the challenges of managing inventory in retail and its impact on e-commerce conversion rates
• the importance of personalization in e-commerce
• how to use customer data to create a connected journey across different channels
• optimizing the product page for conversion
• managing inventory in retail
• creating a connected journey for customers across all channels
• how merchants increase conversion rates through dynamic website content
• the need to emphasize the brand story to build social trust

Host: Erik Christiansen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikc/

Guest: Ashland Stansbury - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashland-stansbury-7b0a64b0/

Justuno: https://www.justuno.com/

Because: https://www.trybecause.com/

In this episode of "The Conversion Show," Erik Christiansen, CEO and co-founder of Justuno, is joined by Andrew Christison, Co-Founder of Retencity, to discuss the three pillars of traffic, conversion, and retention in the marketing industry.

Andrew emphasizes the importance of retention in generating profit for brands and discusses various strategies for creating a positive customer experiences that encourage loyalty.

Andrew and Erik talk through:

• What exactly is "lifecycle marketing"?!
• How Email and SMS remain the top acquisition and retention channels
• Why retention is key to profit
• Maximizing what's right in front of you
• The importance of social proof, risk reversal, and conversion optimization
• Utilizing testing and optimizing strategies to improve conversion and retention rates
• Aligning leadership with agencies to improve customer retention

Host: Erik Christiansen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikc/

Guest: Andrew Christison - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewchristison/

Justuno: https://www.justuno.com/

Retencity: https://www.retencity.com/

Jon MacDonald knows a thing or two about Conversions. Founder and President of The Good, an e-commerce Conversion Rate Optimization agency, and author of Opting into Optimization, Jon sits down with Erik to talk about what's missing from most e-commerce marketing strategies: humanizing the website experience.

Jon and Erik talk through:

• The laws of conversion optimization
• Why it's so hard to optimize your own site
• How to avoid disruptive website experiences
• Treating website visitors like the humans they are
• The art of retail
• The importance of identifying your ICP (ideal customer profile)
• Leveraging your customers' pain points in your optimization
• What's missing from analytics
• Adding value to drive conversions
• Why e-commerce brands focus too much on driving traffic - and not enough on converting it

Host: Erik Christiansen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikc/

Guest: Jon MacDonald - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonnymac/

Justuno: https://www.justuno.com/

The Good: https://thegood.com/

Zach Bailey, Lead Partner Strategist at Justuno, works on website conversion optimization every single day with ecommerce brands, agencies, and various brand sites. He walks through their top questions and challenges - and how these brands are driving more email and SMS lead capture, higher conversion rates, and higher AOV.

This episode is jam-packed with real-life examples and advice to optimize your website visitor experience and conversion optimization.

Zach and Erik talk all things conversion optimization, including:

• Persuasive messaging
• Customer obsession
• Leveraging popups for more than just coupon codes and sales
• Applying your email strategy to your onsite strategy
• E-commerce success formulas
• Identifying and amplifying your impact and brand story
• How to reduce conversion friction on your website
• Building trust through a better onsite customer experience
• Sharing the information your customers want
• How to leverage shopping psychology and FOMO

Host: Erik Christiansen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikc/

Guest: Zach Bailey - https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-bailey-85193067/

Justuno: https://www.justuno.com/

Derric Haynie, CEO and Co-Founder of EcommerceTech is THE person to go to for tech stack advice. You'll see why after just a few minutes of this conversation! Derric and Erik discuss all aspects of Commerce Enablement, what's hot right now in E-commerce technology, and what to think about when optimizing your tech stack for the optimal customer experience - from first impression to loyalty.

In this episode, Derric and Erik talk through:

• How E-Commerce merchants can evaluate and select the best e-commerce tech stack for their brand and goals
• The pillars of your MarTech stack
• Email & SMS are a must for all ecomm brands
• How best to leverage customer reviews
• Improving the return experience
• Examples of ecommerce brands doing customer experience right

Host: Erik Christiansen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikc/

Guest: Derric Haynie - https://www.linkedin.com/in/derrichaynie/

EcommerceTech: https://ecommercetech.io/

We're talking about growth today - with a true expert in the subject, Sarah Stockdale, Founder and CEO of Growclass. Biggest takeaway: it's Not About You.

Get in the mind of your customer and you'll create emails, popups, website copy that converts.

Sarah shares a download on Conversion Copy, including:

• Her copy makeover for Canada's weighted blanket; preview - "scrolling when you wish you were sleeping?"
• Why you can only talk to one person at a time
• How to channel your inner Glinda the good witch to solve your customer's problem
• A live teardown of a retail website
• What questions to ask when writing your marketing copy
• How to place your customer back in the moment that they experienced the problem
• Opportunities to improve your onsite copy and shopping experience
• Why "buy now" buttons might not work

Host: Erik Christiansen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikc/

Guest: Sarah Stockdale - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahstockdale/

Growclass: https://www.growclass.co/

In this episode I sit down with my Co-Founder and CTO, Travis Logan and we catch up on the weeks in's and out's of the business and SaaS/Ecommerce industry.

Enjoy the show!

1. Co-Founder Relationship & Trust
2. Industry Trends & Company Insights
3. Reporting in SaaS companies
4. Reporting Challenges & Enhancements 
5. Customer Requests for Advanced Analytics
6. Quizzes & Advanced Reporting Needs
7. E-commerce & MarTech Landscape
8. Shopify vs. BigCommerce
9. Klaviyo's CDP & Broader Industry Moves
10. Integration Updates & Expansions
11. Google AI & Future Implications
12. Investment in SaaS & AI
13. Entrepreneurial Edge
14. Car Shopping & Marketing Strategies
15. SMS Marketing & Lead Capture

Erik sits down with Virgil Ghik, Co-Founder at WeSupply Labs, to talk about everyone's love-hate relationship with Amazon.

How to replicate the Amazon experience for e-commerce success:

• Communication is key - over-communication FTW
• Focus on an easy shopping, checkout, delivery, and return experience
• 3 things your customers love that won't change (per Jeff Bezos): Low prices, fast delivery, great customer experience
• ^^ How to achieve all 3 of these
• The importance of walking through your own brand's purchase - and post-purchase - experience

Host: Erik Christiansen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikc/

Guest: Virgil Ghik - https://www.linkedin.com/in/virgilghic/

WeSupplyLabs - https://wesupplylabs.com/

Erik Christiansen sits down with Matthew Cannon, CRO of Reach to discuss all things cross-border commerce.

Together, they cover:

• The intricacies of selling cross-border
• Internationalization, Transactions regulations, Retail Margins
• Various barriers merchants face (customs, tariffs, payment options, shipping rates)
• Website personalization and geographic location
• How website and checkout internationalization can improve website conversions
• Improving the overall customer experience on your e-commerce site
• Driving cross-border conversions in a cost-effective manner

Erik Christiansen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikc/

Matthew Cannon - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-cannon-b7835510/

Justuno: https://www.justuno.com/

Reach: https://www.withreach.com/

In this episode of "The Conversion Show" podcast, Erik Christiansen welcomes guests John Gillie, Founder & CEO of TruckTractorTrailer.com (TTT), and Allan Anastacio, Head of Sales & Sales Operations at TTT. From traditional to digital, John and Allan take us into the world of conversion marketing within the trucking industry. They discuss the unique challenges and opportunities in modernizing the trucking industry by providing a digital marketplace for buying and selling trucks, along with various services like financing and insurance.

Erik, John, and Allan discuss:

• Modernizing the trucking industry to keep up with industry standards and meet customer expectations.
• Buyer-seller imbalance: attracting and retaining buyers and converting visitors to customers.
• The right tools and partnerships are crucial for their growth.
• Refining their website's user experience.
• Continuous improvement and adaptation are key to navigating a rapidly changing market and achieving long-term success. 

Host: Erik Christiansen, CEO of Justuno

Guest: John Gillie, Founder & CEO of TruckTractorTrailer.com

Guest: Allan Anastacio, Head of Sales & Sales Operations at TruckTractorTrailer.com

Transcript:

Erik 00:00:51

Welcome to the Conversion Show. Today we have our special guest, John Gill, along with him, his counterpart Allan Anastacio, who heads up sales operations, everything which we'll get into today because we'd love to find out how our retailers operate behind the walls. but special guest, because we have a guest, you know, customer here with hands-on experience.

Erik 00:01:18

And so in the retail world, truck, tractor trailer.com, hop on LinkedIn. You can find, both John and Allan on there and check out their backgrounds. But, welcome to the show, gentlemen.

John 00:01:31

Thank you. Eric.

Erik 00:01:33

So we are just wrapping about this industry of truck tractor trailer. and how to engage you are with your own audience. and customers, leveraging your email list 250,000 is share out, not just sale stuff, but more of your podcast and content. today, looking at what you are, what campaigns you're currently running, which is a lot of engagement with your visitors.

Erik 00:02:08

Allan, you mentioned earlier what brought you to Justuno? I'd love to hear a little bit more again of, you know what Initially you were hoping to achieve and most importantly, where are we today? but what goals and focus are you to working on to grow your business?

Allan 00:02:28

Yeah. that's a great question. Eric. And, you know, I think it's really important for, us to really, understand our platform, and understand really what our goal is on there. Well, we are a SaaS-based e-commerce platform, a marketplace for buyers and sellers. but we call ourselves more of a community.

Allan 00:02:50

and, you know, our main goal is really to connect those buyers and sellers, but, you know, as you were talking about, with that before, how there's a lot of new technology out in the marketplace. There's a lot of technology on it. There's a lot of data that you can, you know, you can you can put IoT, you know, you can get your data, you know,...

In this episode of "The Conversion Show" podcast, Erik Christiansen welcomes back Jon MacDonald, President & Founder of The Good, and author of "Behind the Click".  Erik and Jon discuss digital experience optimization and e-commerce sales conversion strategies. They also highlight ethical marketing practices, understanding consumer psychology and behavior, and how staying attuned to consumer needs and preferences is essential for success. Jon also shares a discount code for his book "Behind the Click," plus a chance to get a signed hard copy.

Erik and Jon discuss:

• “What’s In It for Me?” consumers seek relevance and authenticity in return for their loyalty.
• Experience optimization vs. digital experience optimization.
• The magic of free shipping.
• Investing in customer experience beyond just conversion.
• Why do some shoppers abandon their carts? And what can you do about it?
• Test, test, test, learn, repeat.

Host: Erik Christiansen, CEO of Justuno

Guest: Jon MacDonald, President & Founder of the good

Get a copy of Jon’s book, Behind the Click, and use code “btcpodcast50”  for 50% off. Plus, get your hard copy of Behind the Click signed by Jon Macdonald send an email to (kathryn@justuno.com) or message Jon or Erik on LinkedIn.

Transcript:

Erik  00:00:50

Welcome to the conversion show. Today we have our longstanding guest, Jon MacDonald from the good. Welcome, Jon.

Jon 00:00:58

Thanks for having me once again.

Erik 00:01:01

So Jon's just come in fresh off his his recent book tour. What is a digital book tour?

Jon 00:01:07

Yeah, right, have something printed in analog and then do all the promotions digitally. That's pretty much what I've done. Although I had I did get one speaking engagement out of it, that I did in person. that specifically approached because of the book. So, yeah, that was in person. That was analog. And yeah, really excited about how how the launch has gone.

Erik 00:01:30

It's really the podcast tour these days.

Jon 00:01:33

More than anything. and it's so easy, right, to to just hop on for a half hour, an hour, have a great conversation and reach hundreds of people. it's it's hard to do that from the convenience of of your office on a daily basis.

Erik 00:01:48

So anyone that doesn't know, Jon, look em up on LinkedIn. Jon McDonald. We'll drop a link here. Jon is one of our closest conversion allies here in the in the industry. Jon is is out there, building programs, working with working with clients to ensure they optimize their digital experiences to convert. I was catching up on the good.

Erik 00:02:14

I notice you have the digital experience optimization program, which as I run through it, it's, you know, if I was running, a retail business, any sort of business with a website, you would be the first person I call.

Jon 00:02:31

I hear that sounds a lot coming from you.

Erik 00:02:33

Yeah. Well, so, we'll drop the link to this, too, and we'll actually going to touch on some of this stuff today for the audience. What we're talking about today. What is it? July 17th, 2024 is really, you know, Jon and I catch up every quarter. And today we're going to be talking about what's top of mind inside the walls at...

In this episode of "The Conversion Show" podcast, Erik Christiansen welcomes back Jon MacDonald, President & Founder of the good, and author of "Behind the Click".  Erik and Jon delve into consumer psychology and the psychological principles that shape our online decisions and how they impact a company's digital presence. They also discuss the digital customer journey and the importance of understanding customer needs and decision-making processes to improve conversion rates, retention, and trust. Jon also offered a discount code for the e-book version of "Behind The Click," and shares key takeaways for busy readers. 

Erik an Jon discuss:

• Understanding the customer's mindset at each phase of the buying life cycle.
• Decision fatigue and the critical role of simplifying the purchasing process.
• Building trust and ensuring customer retention through the post-purchase experience.
• Challenges of personalization and the power of segmentation and automation.

Host: Erik Christiansen, CEO of Justuno

Guest: Jon MacDonald, President & Founder of the good

Transcript

Erik 00:00:51 

We're going to kick off the conversion show today with Jon MacDonald, a former guest. And I'm really happy to have Jon today because, wanted to celebrate his new book, Behind the Click. I read his last one, opt in in the Optimizing Optimization. also founder of the good. And today we are talking about consumer psychology. and so welcome, Jon, to the show.

Jon 00:01:18

Hey, thanks for having me again. Great to be back.

Erik 00:01:20

I was excited to talk about consumer psychology because it's what we've been talking about a lot lately. would you like to share? Let's hear about the book real quick. Let's hear about why you wrote it and what you're covering in it.

Jon 00:01:36

Well, Behind the Click is about the psychological principles, behind the shortcuts that our brains take to make decisions every day. And how the different elements of your company's digital experience either guide customers towards that purchase, or sends them running to a competitor. And so understanding all of these, I think, you know, what has happened is I've been in the CRO industry for 15 years now.

Jon 00:02:04

You know, the good just turned 15 in April and, you know, the more work that we've done to optimize conversion rates, the more we've realized that to make real, lasting gains, you have to pull way further back on the customer experience than just conversion. And that was kind of a light bulb moment for this book, right? So many factors affect your conversions.

Jon 00:02:29

and it starts way before a customer even begins to start thinking about purchasing from you. Right? As they're doing their research, they have a need. So every element of your website tells the customers something about what they do or do not want with or to buy from you, right? It's one of those things where if you have to understand in order to be effective, what's...

In this episode of "The Conversion Show" podcast, Erik Christiansen interviews Drew Clark CEO, Founder, and Director at California Cowboy. Drew opened up about the rollercoaster ride of running a retail business, especially with the crumbling of the digital and seismic shifts in e-commerce. From website redesigns, site speed, and content creation to the return of physical stores; Erik and Drew cover the essential tweaks that can skyrocket your conversion rates.

Erik and Drew discuss:

• From fires to covid, how California Cowboy bounced back in the face of unpredictable challenges.
• The digital shift and its impact on marketing.
• Product features and design elements of California Cowboy apparel.
• The highs and lows of return on ad spend.
• Website redesign + speed, growth trajectory, and conversion rates.
• Community, cost-saving, and creating a collective experience through sharing retail space with local brands.

Host: Erik Christiansen, CEO of Justuno

Guest: Drew Clark, Drew Clark, CEO, Founder, & Director at California Cowboy

Transcript:

Intro 00:00:05

Welcome to the Conversion Show, a podcast that's all about. You guessed it, conversions, everything that gets you to your goal, whether that's purchase, lead capture app, install content downloads, chat engagement, or demo requests. We're talking conversions hosted by Erik Christiansen, CEO and co-founder of the leading conversion optimization platform, Justuno. On the conversion show, Erik sits down with industry-leading marketers, e-commerce growth experts, founders, and entrepreneurs to chat all things conversion marketing. Be sure to follow the conversion show podcast to be notified when a new episode goes live. Like what you hear? Leave us some love with a review. And now here's your host, Eric Christiansen.

Erik 00:00:50

Welcome to the conversion show. Today is a special day. It's our first in-person interview. Here I am joined by Drew Clark, CEO and founder of California Cowboy. California Cowboy, Do you want to share a little bit about California Cowboy? Sure. You guys are done?

Drew 00:01:09

Yeah, We make after sport apparel that's kind of designed to help you enjoy life offline as all of our product kind of has designed features that enable you to put your phone away. There's a dry pocket on the back of most of our products and it come with conversation cards. They're really fun. It can help you start or stop conversations, subtle reminders that it's so fun to talk to people in real life instead of just sliding into their dance.

Drew 00:01:36

And then there's also bottle pockets of package our shirts and robes.

Erik 00:01:39

You can lock your phone?

Drew 00:01:41

We do make a product at all, and we call it the pocket pouch that actually prevents electromagnetic signals from getting to your phone. So this is very dark edge technology fabric that you slide your filter to the pouch and you kind of put it down, and it's just committing to

In this episode of "The Conversion Show," Erik Christiansen, CEO of Justuno, is joined by Travis Logan, Co-Founder & CTO of Justuno, and this week's guest Brian Peters, Head of Platform Partnerships at Shopify. The conversation kicks off by looking at the most talked about statistic from Brain's presentation at the Shopify Enterprise Partner Summit 2023, 35% of Shopify Plus merchants have seen smaller cart sizes and 50% are seeing less site traffic and lower conversion rates. Brian breaks down what this means for merchants and what the future looks like for E-commerce. 

Erik, Travis, and Brian discuss:

• Finding the right product-market fit.
• Brand identity online.
• Influencer marketing
• Marketing is brand experience.
• Does high customization equal high converting?
• To survive as a brand you have to convert at checkout.
• Zero-party data expands beyond your email list.
• Why Shopify is the number one converting checkout in the world.

Host: Erik Christiansen, CEO of Justuno

Guest: Travis Logan, CTO at Justuno

Guest: Brian Peters, Head of Platform Partnerships at Shopify

Transcript:

Erik 00:00:50 - 00:01:22

Welcome to the show today. I'm very excited because I have two guests. And so this is going to be a jam-packed episode where we're going to gain some insights into Shopify like never before. We're going to learn what that the leadership, what's top of mind with the Shopify leadership along with just, you know, leadership. Because today I have my my co-founder, Travis Logan, CTO of just, you know, on the show and Brian Peters, head of platform partnerships at Shopify.

Erik 00:01:22 - 00:01:33

So hang on, today is going to be a very insightful show. So we're going to jump into it. And the reason I have Brian on the show today. Welcome, Brian. Well, thank you.

Brian 00:01:33 - 00:01:34

Thank you. Good to be here.

Erik 00:01:34 - 00:02:06

I have Brian on here because I was down at the Shopify Enterprise event down in L.A., right by where that I-10 fire was, what, two days ago? I'm not surprised because that, you know, no Shopify, they like to select very colorful neighborhoods to have events like this colorful, really cool spot in the heart of downtown L.A. Brian got on stage and gave a presentation and he had a slide that stood out to me.

Erik 00:02:06 - 00:02:45

And that's what we're talking about today. The quotes from the slide were, according to a survey of Shopify Plus merchants, 35% have seen smaller cart sizes and 50% are seeing less site traffic and lower conversion rates. Now, we also the second reason we're here is Travis and I were at the Google next event in San Francisco wandering the expo and we stumbled upon a Shopify booth at Google Nexus conference.

Erik 00:02:46 - 00:03:16

Which one was...

In this episode of "The Conversion Show," Erik Christiansen, CEO of Justuno, interviews Alex Courselle, Founder and CEO of KARL Mission a conversion rate optimization (CRO) agency. With over a decade of experience in CRO, Alex shared some invaluable insights that are relevant as we approach the holiday season. Alex discusses the science behind unlocking successful conversions, the art of building trust with customers, and the rising trend of focusing on SEO due to increasing costs.

Erik and Alex discuss:

• The significance of analyzing mobile and desktop traffic
• The tactful application of product recommendations and upsells
• The need for engaging content
• The DNA of successful CRO clients
• Where businesses fall short in understanding client personas

Host: Erik Christiansen, CEO of Justuno

Guest: Alex Courselle, Founder & CEO of KARL Mission

Transcript:

Erik 00:00:50

Welcome back to the Conversion Show. Today I have a special guest that I think anyone going into this holiday season is going to be very excited about. With me today is Alex Courselle, who has ten-plus years in CRO and is founder CEO of KARL Mission. So if you are in front of a computer, check out karlmission.com You'll get the whole breakdown.

Erik 00:01:14

But welcome to the show Alex.

Alex 00:01:17

Thank you so much for having me. That's pretty cool.

Erik 00:01:20

So for today's show, it is November 6th. And everyone's gearing up. You know they've hit play. Everyone's already started their cyber sales. because you know it's not just one day anymore. We're all getting the emails. But there's still more to be done. Every website can always be optimized. Campaigns can always be updated. So today what we're going to do for our listeners is really hear, you know, with Alex's experience, what's trending, what is top of mind with CRO today. And see if we can't get some insights that maybe you can still apply to your sites for this holiday season. So with that, I'm putting you on the spot right off the bat, Alex. But before we do that, let's set the stage for your background. Ten years in CRO, it's very rare for us to come across talent and experience like yours.

Erik 00:02:20

So could you just share with the crowd, what you're doing at KARL Mission and how you got there?

Alex 00:02:27

Yeah. For sure. So. Basically, I started in design and I went into SEO. I stayed in that cluster of digital marketing kind of roles, up to that time I was production director. And then our company, I started being bought by a prospect, and then the option was open to do whatever. So I just decided to start into CRO. It was back in Paris and a prospect and very interesting because at the time there were no merch products and people didn't understand it as well. So it needs to be, you know, easy to understand for everyone. So I had to create the packages and everything. So I really started from scratch. My whole experience didn't really have much guidance or anything. So it was really it was a bit the Western at the time. I felt like the field was empty, the street was empty, no...